Government should not try to tame prosecutors
The Ministry of Justice conducted its biggest reshuffle involving 662 mid-level prosecutors Friday. Yet the ministry has come under attack for promoting pro-government prosecutors to key posts, while relegating to trivial posts the prosecutors spearheading investigations into alleged irregularities of the Moon Jae-in administration.
The reshuffle was apparently designed to prevent the prosecution from investigating allegations of wrongdoings involving core members of the political elite. All prosecutors who led such investigations were replaced. The government has virtually disbanded almost all of the probe teams that had been digging up dirt on President Moon’s close aides and ranking officials.
Those cases include an illegal exit ban on former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui, and the alleged manipulation of the economic value of the aged Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor to justify its earlier-than-scheduled closure in line with Moon’s nuclear phase-out policy. The investigation teams have sought to indict presidential officials for their alleged scheme to force prosecutors to reinvestigate Kim, who was acquitted of charges of receiving sexual favors arranged by a local builder more than 10 years ago. They have also tried to indict former Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Paik Un-gyu for his alleged role in falsifying the reactor data.
On the other hand, the ministry promoted a prosecutor, who played a key role in imposing the illegal exit ban on Kim, to deputy director. It is difficult to understand how such a prosecutor could be promoted although he was indicted for the ban. Other pro-government figures close to Justice Minister Park Beom-kye and his predecessor Choo Mi-ae were promoted to major posts in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
The ministry already drew criticism for promoting pro-government figures in the June 4 reshuffle of 41 senior prosecutors. Then Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office chief Lee Sung-yoon was promoted to lead the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office although he was indicted on charges of wielding undue influence in 2019 to stop an investigation into the exit ban case. Lee, widely known for his pro-Moon stance, should have been suspended from duty or subject to disciplinary action over his alleged violation of the law.
The Moon administration has gone all out to directly control the law enforcement agency since former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl waged an anti-corruption campaign against officials and politicians of the ruling bloc. Yoon incurred the hatred of the powers that be, not least because he targeted former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, one of Moon’s close aides, over alleged corruption and university admissions fraud involving his family.
It is wrong to try to tame prosecutors to protect officials and politicians from possible criminal charges. The government’s bid to control the prosecution will undermine the agency’s political neutrality and independence. Moon’s much-touted prosecutorial reform will go up in smoke as long as he keeps trampling on the basic elements of the rule of law.
The Ministry of Justice conducted its biggest reshuffle involving 662 mid-level prosecutors Friday. Yet the ministry has come under attack for promoting pro-government prosecutors to key posts, while relegating to trivial posts the prosecutors spearheading investigations into alleged irregularities of the Moon Jae-in administration.
The reshuffle was apparently designed to prevent the prosecution from investigating allegations of wrongdoings involving core members of the political elite. All prosecutors who led such investigations were replaced. The government has virtually disbanded almost all of the probe teams that had been digging up dirt on President Moon’s close aides and ranking officials.
Those cases include an illegal exit ban on former Vice Justice Minister Kim Hak-ui, and the alleged manipulation of the economic value of the aged Wolsong-1 nuclear reactor to justify its earlier-than-scheduled closure in line with Moon’s nuclear phase-out policy. The investigation teams have sought to indict presidential officials for their alleged scheme to force prosecutors to reinvestigate Kim, who was acquitted of charges of receiving sexual favors arranged by a local builder more than 10 years ago. They have also tried to indict former Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Paik Un-gyu for his alleged role in falsifying the reactor data.
On the other hand, the ministry promoted a prosecutor, who played a key role in imposing the illegal exit ban on Kim, to deputy director. It is difficult to understand how such a prosecutor could be promoted although he was indicted for the ban. Other pro-government figures close to Justice Minister Park Beom-kye and his predecessor Choo Mi-ae were promoted to major posts in the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office.
The ministry already drew criticism for promoting pro-government figures in the June 4 reshuffle of 41 senior prosecutors. Then Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office chief Lee Sung-yoon was promoted to lead the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office although he was indicted on charges of wielding undue influence in 2019 to stop an investigation into the exit ban case. Lee, widely known for his pro-Moon stance, should have been suspended from duty or subject to disciplinary action over his alleged violation of the law.
The Moon administration has gone all out to directly control the law enforcement agency since former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl waged an anti-corruption campaign against officials and politicians of the ruling bloc. Yoon incurred the hatred of the powers that be, not least because he targeted former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, one of Moon’s close aides, over alleged corruption and university admissions fraud involving his family.
It is wrong to try to tame prosecutors to protect officials and politicians from possible criminal charges. The government’s bid to control the prosecution will undermine the agency’s political neutrality and independence. Moon’s much-touted prosecutorial reform will go up in smoke as long as he keeps trampling on the basic elements of the rule of law.
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